Preparing for a high-growth, low-carbon future

Supporting renewable energy

We simply can’t address global warming without more low-carbon energy, and that requires new transmission.  Because renewable resources such as solar and wind power tend to be located in remote areas, investment in new transmission is essential to transporting energy to where it is needed most.

The U.S. is expected to add an average of about 6,000 to 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy per year from 2010-2020.

The Upper Midwest is rich with renewable generation resources that cannot be fully harnessed until we build efficient transmission to bring it to major load centers in the Eastern Interconnection.

As a sponsor of the SMART study, Exelon is supporting the efforts to better understand the transmission options that will foster the development of wind power and other environmentally friendly resources thoughout the study area.

Reducing congestion

Just like an overcrowded highway slows down traffic, overburdened transmission lines can inhibit movement of electricity. As transmission lines reach their capacity limits, they are less able to handle disturbances to the grid, such as severe storms or network failures, raising the risk of major power outages. Grid congestion also can mean higher electricity costs.

The nation’s 157,000 miles of high-voltage transmission line are plagued by chronic congestion. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, electricity demand has increased by about 25% since 1990, while construction of new transmission decreased by 30%.

Exelon Transmission Company is committed to building the next generation of transmission to relieve this congestion and improve the flow of electricity to our communities that need it.  Along with other companies, we are encouraged by the incentives that Congress and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are offering to spur development and drive new investments in the U.S. transmission infrastructure.

Improving reliability

Exelon, as one of the nation’s largest utilities, has a commitment to deliver safe, reliable power to customers. Avoiding outages is one of our top priorities. Exelon Transmission Company will develop new, state-of-the-art transmission lines to ensure power is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, wherever it’s needed.